The Meissen mold archive, the heart of the manufactory, preserves molds for around 9,000 sculptures from 300 years of Meissen history. This diversity has its beginnings in the creativity of Meissen artists in the 18th century, when the so-called sculptural period of the manufactory began around 1730. With it, the artistic focus shifted from utilitarian wares based on East Asian models to the production of large-scale sculptures, spurred on by Augustus the Strong and the decoration of the Japanese Palace into a representative porcelain cabinet. This period is directly linked to the name of Johann Joachim Kaendler, who came to Meissen in 1731. He quickly made a name for himself as a modeler of life-size animal sculptures, devoted himself to the elector's demanding commissions, and in quick succession modeled epoch-making objects that redefined the boundaries of porcelain.